Did K-1s initial dissolution strike a huge blow to kickboxing?

[noc]

Kickboxing needs new rules, small gloves, 5, 7, 8 or 10 rounds. The MMA rules without grappling

 

[ryun253]

Real kickboxing died when K1 died.

K1 was the greatest organisation in combat sports.

One Fc and Glory are doing good. But k1 was the UFC of kickboxing. Can't compare it.

Had the ultimate street fighter / tekken video game feels during that time with fighters from all around the world being represented, same reason I enjoyed Pride too

 

[Crash Lance]

To answer the thread's question though -- I was born in 1998 and didn't get into Kickboxing until 2016, so while I never experienced it first hand, I do think the events had a much more grand feeling to them. That being said, that was kinda the nature of combat sports promoting to a degree back then (at least more than now). Boxing, especially HBO Boxing, still had much fancier presentation and high level combat sports had a certain air of prestige in their broadcasts (hell, even Pro Wrestling did). The nature of how media is consumed and perceived by the masses has changed significantly since then, so naturally the promotions themselves have been molded around that. The UFC really helped with creating that imo, even though I think they were just the first company to understand what the blueprint needed to be in the modern era. Big stuff just doesn't feel as big because media consumption is decentralized and heavily fractured, so until that changes, I don't see a single promotion being able to produce that same feeling old school K-1 did. I felt like THE MATCH 2022 card captured that, being the first major cross promoted Kickboxing event in recent memory.

HBO World Championship Boxing used to exist. AT&T decided to erase everything from HBO.

After the AT&T era ended, a new company called Warner Bros. Discovery started its existence. Warner Bros. Discovery owns HBO and they started their ownership since the very first second of their existence.

So far, Warner Bros. Discovery have decided that they should continue those decisions where HBO won't support Boxing fights anymore. Anything is possible. They could start broadcasting Boxing fights next year or the year after that.

In my opinion, Netflix Boxing fights are enjoyable to watch. I really love the menus and the way they present their Boxing fights.

 

[machida90]

Had the ultimate street fighter / tekken video game feels during that time with fighters from all around the world being represented, same reason I enjoyed Pride too

Not only that but basically every fights and tournament delivered, we saw many others tournaments after the K-1 death but they were not the same.

 

[Escabar]

Unfortunately kickboxing still hasn't recovered not sure it ever will. K1 was such a grand stage nothing like it now.